Once upon a midnight...

Help me out, oh wise internet. If I were to get a black female kitten, what are some good names that go nicely with Shakespeare and Marlowe? English poets? Shakespearean characters?

MQ is lobbying for Maisy or Midnight. I was actually willing to give in, but my husband, bless his heart, wants to stick with a theme. And I love nothing more than a good theme.

I've never wanted a glass of ice water so badly in my life

I have not had a drink with ice in it for over a week.

I have not had a room temperature drink for over a week.*

If I do... the pain. It makes me want to curse (mother f*cker being the curse of choice), hit someone, or cry. Or all three.

The braces came off 2 1/2 weeks ago (hooray!) and my teeth were a little sensitive. Made sense. I used the special toothpaste I had always used before, and figured it would go away in a few days, like usual. Except it didn't. 6 days after my release from the brackets I took a drink atbreakfast and nearly keeled over from the pain. By the next day (Halloween, and I was room mom for The May Queen's class party) I had figured out that cold things are what REALLY set it off. The pain is, hand down, worse than labor. And I was in labor for 48 house. But this... this has been 13 days.

I've been to the dentist. And the orthodontist. There's no cavity. No decay. My bite seems to be OK (darn well should be!) We are trying some things to make it better.

In the meantime I heat up every liquid I drink. I have to have a mug of warm water to brush my teeth. If it's cold outside I keep my mouth closed, because the cold air on the tooth sends me reeling. I chew everything on one side.

But it is NOT getting better. And it looks like a root canal may be in my future. As much as I dread that, it has to be better than this pain.

The silver lining, I've decided, is that it has also forced me to kick my diet soda habit. In an act of true desperation I did, one day, microwave a mug full of Diet Pepsi. I've stuck to tea and lukewarm water since then.

________________________________________

* Except red wine. For some reason room temperature red wine does not bother the tooth at all. It's like a gift from God.